Survivors of chemical attack want stronger US role

WASHINGTON — With tears welling in her eyes, Syrian refugee Heba Sawan says her country is filled with suffering that goes far beyond the use of chemical weapons by the regime of President Bashar Assad.

Sawan and her cousin, Amineh, survived a chemical weapon attack in the Syrian town of Moadamiyeh.

At the Capitol on Thursday, the cousins said their warring country was being ravaged before the use of the weapons. They spoke as Syrian rebels raided Aleppo amid a relentless government air campaign. At least 246 people, including 73 children, have died in the past five days alone, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The sisters spoke after meeting with Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, the chairman of a Senate subcommittee that works on Syrian issues.